Books

Just finished "The Rose Field" by Philip Pullman, book 3 in "The Book of Dust". Was it good? I'm somewhat up in the air about that. I enjoyed the series but books 2 & 3 was just one book in 2 volumes; and that's fine but it was somehow a bit... Unfulfilling. Ending felt a bit rushed as well; an additional 50 pages might have better fleshed out both the climax and a suitable epilogue.

Started "The Gone World" by Tom Sweterlitsch last night. Holy poop the 7-page prologue had me hooked immediately.

Finished: Foundation by Asimov. Pretty great, I liked the repeated theme that violence is just a bad solution, not a "wrong" one. You can sit around arguing philosophy all day, but if one path involves death and destruction and the other avoids it then it's hard to argue with results

In progress: Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. I got a color e-reader for Christmas so I've been seeing what Manga is like on it. It's funny and plays pretty fast and loose with its own rules. It's also much faster than watching the show

I’m a little over halfway through The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman. It’s been a slow reading week, but I’ll probably finish the book this week. 

I love it so much :)

I have just started listening to The High Crusade. With English not even being my first language it's really something else. Enjoying it this far though, and if I don't understand anything anymore there's still the option to get a used copy from back then for small money.

Three quarters through "Works of Vermin" by Hiron Ennis.

Pretty good, but if you want something much better, try The Scar by China Meiville.

Just finished reading „The Quiet American“ by Greene. I read it based on @adhd_traco@piefed.social suggestion. Thanks for that mate! I enjoyed it quite a bit. Although I thought Our man in Havanna was better, since it didn’t take itself as seriously. Any other ones you liked by Greene?

Right now I’m reading „The Crucible“ by Arthur Miller. Idk what to think yet, I only just started, but so far it seems quite good and unfortunately sort of on topic with all the tyranny going on in the world nowadays…

Edit: Just got done with the Crucible. I thought it was great. Definitely gonna try to catch the play some time soon. I probably liked it even more than „Death of a Salesman“ and I already loved that one. Next up: Probably either „The Nickelboys“ or „Berlin Alexanderplatz“.

Finished: The Hour of the Predator by Giuliano da Empoli. Very underwhelming after having made great promises. The book draws parallels between modern "leaders" and Cesare Borgia, but due to the tight structure (1 leader per chapter) and the many irrelevant anecdotes of the author's time among "important" people, the parallels never get examined closely or even in an interesting manner.

Currently reading: thanks to this Lemmy post I discovered the Garth Marenghi books. I'm now 20 pages into the first one, TerrorTome, and I like it a lot. The typical Garth voice, serious and funny at the same time, setting up another silly story. I can't wait to pick it back up.

Finished Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time. Supposedly ranked the best crime novel of all time. I'm not sure I agree with the ranking, but can understand how it made the list. Detective Alan Grant, hospitalized from his previous case, investigates the historical murder of the Princes in the Tower, allegedly committed by Richard III. Grant's research brings this into dispute and he labels this narrative Tonypandy, after the Tonypandy Massacre where Winston Churchill ordered the British Calvary to violently put down a Welsh miners' strike. Which isn't at all what happened, but is repeated anyway because it's more politically expedient than the truth.

Moving on to Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. I intend to claim this one for the Late to the Party square as it's a classic that people who know my literary tastes would have expected me to have read at least twice by now. I have the 60th anniversary edition with a preface by Neil Gaiman, 100 pages of supplementary end commentaries, and extensive margin notes contributed by an anonymous previous owner.

Actually just started Chrysalis 6: Antvance into the Unknown this morning.

The entire series has been interesting so far!

Just finished Slaughterhouse-Five. Currently reading On the Road, by Jack Kerouac. It's good so far. I had no idea Beatniks were just bums that did lots of drugs and listened to Jazz. Fun stuff! Every generation is basically the same. Sex, drugs, sticking it to the man, etc... :)

It’s been a bit since I’ve posted in one of these, and in that time I read the first 2 books of the Ransom Riggs series, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Then followed it up with the brand new Dresden files book Twelve Months by Jim Butcher.

Also, during this time I’ve been doing a second go through of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series this time the audiobooks just because I have heard them praised so highly and they are definitely one of the best audiobook productions I’ve heard. I’m currently on the second book of that.

Probably get back very soon to Ms. Peregrin’s, but I’m also quickly finishing up The Invention of Hugo Cabaret before I get back.

I'm still settling on a new book rn, but I went on kind of a reading binge last week.

Finished:

A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith (mostly cozy historical mystery with legal elements) | bingo: different continent, x of y HM, new, alliterative, cozy

The reclusive barrister from the first book is drawn into another mystery while preparing for a court case rife with scandal.

This was a little less cozy than the first book, but I liked it just as much. I do hope the next one will break the pattern of 'seemingly separate court case turns out to be related to the mystery', though.

Obscura by Joe Hart (scifi thriller with mystery and horror elements) | bingo: none!

A scientist working on a cure for an Alzheimer's-like disease is convinced to travel to space to diagnose a team of astronauts with similar symptoms.

For as many issues as I had with this, it was still enjoyable. The horror/thriller/mystery parts were fun, but the physics were applied spottily, and I did a lot of eye rolling at the repeated railroading of the MC by others to avoid explaining the situation, only for them to later explain the situation.

Teacup Magic: The First Collection by Tansy Rayner Roberts (cozy fantasy of manners with romance and mystery elements) | bingo: different continent, indie, short HM, steppin' up HM, cozy

A trio of novellas about an upper-class young woman falling into magical mysteries and adventures with her friends and love interest.

These were charming, fluffy fun that I will happily read more of. Skip if you prefer detailed world building, or acknowledgement of privilege.

Body Count by Paddy Manning

https://www.booktopia.com.au/body-count-paddy-manning/book/9781925456752.html

My wife wanted me to read the mist born novels, that were intriguing but the lead character killed me

Almost finished with The lies of Locke Lamora. Havent found the rest of the gentlemen bastards in Dutch unfortunately.

Reincarnation blues by Michael Poore. It's not groundbreaking but it's entertaining.

Actually a very slow year for me, when it comes to books. Currently only reading the book Mort by Terry Pratchett.

Still working on How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, and right now I'm reading If You Dare by A.R. Torre to finish up that trilogy.

Empire of Gold - Book 3 of the Devabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty.

They have been much slower reads than most fantasy I have read. I am not convinced the ending will be worth the effort.

I just picked up Katabasis by R. F. Kuang first few chapters were fun. I'm thinking I'll enjoy it more.

Closed out Children of Men by P.D. James today.

I have a copy of the Left Hand of Darkness, but I can't read a physical copy in the car while driving. Guess I'll have to wait for the library to deliver the audiobook.

I think I'll start Utopia by Thomas More tomorrow.

Finished "The hydrogen sonata" by Ian M Banks. Went looking for something else to read, and stumbled upon "Bill the galactic hero" by Harry Harrison. I had read some of his books a long time ago, but didn't even remember he was the writer. I was traveling for work a lot the last weeks and this was a nice simple read after Banks. I'm now following up with "Bill the galactic hero on the planet of the robot slaves.

I finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. This was my least favourite book the first two times and I wasn't looking forward to it, but it was really good this time through. I think it's because I read a physical book instead of listening to the audiobook this time, and this one is much slower and more contemplative. Memories are such an important part of this story, so being able to read entire pages of scene-setting, that go in detail into everything that Dresden was seeing & feeling, and everything they mean to him, were much more effective in a medium that lets you sit with things for a moment and really take it all in. Loved it.

I'm in Fellowship of the Ring now, gonna alternate these with Dresden files. I only just watched the films for the first time in the last year or so and I read The Hobbit last month (didn't watch those ones). No thoughts on it yet except I'm glad we didn't stick around in Hobbiton for very long, I really don't like the people there for the most part.

I'm also on a Brandon Sanderson kick (for roughly two years now). I'm currently reading The Sunlit Man. It's good, but don't read it until you finish the Stormlight Archive series and the standalone novella Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell. Most of the Cosmere stories are fairly approachable in isolation, but this one is very dense with references to established characters, places, and lore, to the point where it should be considered a sequel or spinoff. Even I feel a little lost!

If anyone's looking for an easy way into Sanderson's Cosmere (it's intimidating! I get it!), I highly recommend the novella The Emperor's Soul. It's self-contained, it's short, and it's just a fantastic story. If you prefer listening to reading, Graphic Audio has an "audio movie" version which is a nice taste of what they offer, too.

@dresden@discuss.online let me know if you want recommendations on reading order before you continue on to The Lost Metal.

Missed this post last week but since then I have done a few things.

I finished the last current Trader book.

I listened to the first Outlanders book which turns out to be set 100 years after the Deathlands books and references a lot of things established in those books but also even just in this first answers a lot of questions that hadn't been made apparent about the history of the Deathlands so along with Trader being set 40 or so years before they are all giving a good amount of information on the setting and lore and filling in lots of blanks.

I also got the newest Deathlands, number 157, which was OK.

I listened to the newest "Beware of Chicken" by casual farmer. This is number 5 and I really enjoyed going back and visiting that setting again. It fleshed out a lot more of the main characters back story as well as a couple of epilogues that filled in some side characters back stories some more, it was a good time.

And currently I am just over half way through Shopocalypse Saga book 7 "BuyMort Singularity". This is set 100 years in the future from where the last book left off which left you thinking the main character was dead, this follows his return and him catching up with how the universe has changed in his absence as well as how his legend has been incorrectly told leading him to be some what demonised. It then goes on to tell about how he begins to reaffirm his presence in the universe and try to take back some of the power he once held. Again I am really enjoying returning to another setting I know and enjoyed in the past!

It has been a busy couple of weeks!

Finished Katabasis by RF Kuang. I did enjoy the book overall. Probably a 7/10. The ending seemed very quick to me. And the showdown with some "bad" guys felt rushed. If it had been from the perspective of main character I think while rushed would make more sense being so rushed based on what was happening.

Will probably start Ashes of Man by Rucchio this week. I am glad i stuck with the Suneater series.

Ha, when that Sanderlanch hits you can't just put it down 😅

I'm catching up on Firefly books that have been on my Backlog (mostly thanks to Brandon Sanderson as it turns out). Currently reading Life Signs.

2nd Murderbot book, and Pride and Prejudice with Zombies.

I am halfway reading A tale for the time being by Ruth Ozeki.